1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rack for holding a bicycle in an upstanding position and in particular to a rack suitably structured to support the majority of bicycles having various sizes and widths of wheels. The universality of the rack depends on its particular structure combined with dimensions proportionaly adjusted. It has no movable parts.
The bicycles are easy to install on the present rack and maintain their upright position regardless of the dimensions of the bicycle wheels which are commercially available.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,289 issued on Aug. 24, 1965 discloses a stand for bicycles which makes use of laterally adjustable bars for clamping a wheel of a bicycle so as to hold the latter in an upright position. The stand needs to make use of various types of coupling which allows the adjustment of the bars and of a Z-shape base member.
The bicycle storage device disclosed in Canadian patent No. 1,168,187 issued on May 29, 1984, combines a wheel receiving channel 10 with a hook 11 and a bracket 12 for gripping the lowermost part of the wheels of a bicycle. The channel has a flat base portion 10a which prevents even the narrowest wheel from sliding below the channel. The hook grips the rim of the wheel adjacent the channel and does not take in consideration the spokes of the wheel.
Canadian patent No. 1,222,722 issued to P. T. Drake on June 9, 1987 describes a kit for assembling a bicycle rack. The loops 19 laterally hold the wheels. The lower and the upper part of the loops are at the same distance from each other. Accordingly, the lower part cannot be adjustly fit for all sizes of wheels and accordingly the bicycle will tilt sideways. The lower part of the loop is supported by the tubes 13 and 15 and is close to the ground. The wheel of the bicycle is generally susceptible to touching the ground. Furthermore, the distance between the tubes 13 and 15 is relatively small and does not allow the wheel to penetrate much below the level of those tubes. Partly for this reason, Drake includes a third tube 17, to prevent the forward movement of the bicycle.